Braiding-machine.



- braider or as a variable stripe 'braider, by

" UNITED studs adjacent to each. Fig. 3 in icates a TATES 1" v n a; \x ,v FERDINAND THUN', OF WYOMISSING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGXORJ TO TEXTILE MACHINE- WORKS, OF WYOMISSING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION.

oi PENNSYLVANIA W "3'?" in snamnvcaracrn a ..-u-. I V I a p v :5 a Specification of LettersPat h Pa egtid Sept 15 1908 i l i APiPmfim filed 's ji ei N'329,|1.61. I i

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FERDINAND Tnun, a citizen of the United'State's, and a resident of Wyomissing, in the county of Berks, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Braiding-Machines, of whic 1 the following is a specification.

.\Iy invention relates to braiding machines having a race-course comprising separate series of race-circles and carrier en aging gears connected by a common-terminal race circle and gear whereby the se arate series of carriers are traversed in inter ocking passes through said common terminal to form stripe braids, as fully described in U. S. Patent No. 810,056, issued January 16th, 1906 to Henry J anssen.

llic main object of my invention is to provide an improved machine of the class referred to u on which may be produced a varied pro not including braiding with a differing number and location of stripes as desired.

The invention is fully described in con-- nection with the accompanyin drawing and the novel features are specifical y pointed out in the claims.

Fi ure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a braiding machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing two of the intermediate gear studs provided with different interchangeable carrier drive-gears, and the cooperating drive gears u on the slightly modified switch-operating means from that indicated in Fig. 1. Fi 4 indicates a modified construction invo ving .the use of interchan eable top plate sections for use in plain braiding In my improved construction I provide for utilizing a single machine either as a plain dividing the race-circle course into multiple sections successively connected by single race circles each of which is adapted to serve either as an ordinary race circle for the regu. lar passing of the carriers in plain braiding or as a common terminal for the race circle sections thus connected, whereby the respective series of carriers are returned around such connecting race circle instead of passing through it, toproduce stripe braiding.

Referring to Fig. 1, a and a representIthe usual terminal-race" circlesrlofa flat. braider,

b b b represent ordinary race errcles-otthe course, and c c c c representsin le intermediate race circles connecting dilierentseries of race circles 1), whereby thee-curse is divided, as Sl10WIl, lHtt) five (lIllGICIlt sections. The different race circles 11 b b are eachordmanly provided with gears (I having driving heads e with four horns or carrier engagin recesses, and the gears of the usual termina race circles a and ahave five carrier engaging horns. The single connecting race circles c c c c, of my improved machine will require in the first place, for the plain braiding operation, to be provided with gears havin and operating similarly to the carrier en-v gaging gears 41 e; and in the second place,

0 four herns for the stripe braiding operation, to be proi vided with common terminal or double drive gears g h having six horns in the head portion h,three foreach of the connected series. To enable these different sections; or any number of them, to be either operated in a single series as usual for production of plain braid, or to be 0 erated sectionall as desired, I provide or interchangeab y using upon each intermediate gear stud p, the special four horn-drive gear 9' 7c shown to the right of Fig. 2, or the common terminal six horn drive gear 9 7i indicated to the left of the same figure; said drive gear jk havinga four horn head 1' and a gear wheel k arranged to mesh with the gear wheel m of the drive gear m n on the gear stud o to one side thereof so as to be rotated in the same time as the gear m n; and said drive gear 9 h havin a double three horn head g and a gear wheel 72. ar-

ranged to mesh withthe gear wheel m of the stituted for 1:, so that sit er of said interchangeable gears j k and g h will be roperly driven when laced in position. 0 pro vide for readily interchanging these gears the stud p is adapted to be withdrawn throughthegearsgmountedguponlitzaslim as indicated in Fig. 1, the switch movements in such case being u"necessaril fre uent in plain braiding; or a single an dou le cam may be rovided on each shaft u, in connection wit a switch arm 'v adjustable to engage one or other as indicated in Fig. 3.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 4 switches are entirely dispensed with in the plain braiding arrangement, the change late -w providing the required run without t em;

but they are employed as before explained in WhatI claim is:-

1. A braiding machine having carriers,

drive mechanism therefor, and a top plate provided'with a continuous race-way comprising series of uniform sized race-circles and a connecting enlarged circle u on which the carriers may be either passed t rough or,

reversed for plain or stripe braiding respectively, substantially as setforth.

2. A braiding machine having carriers, drive'mechanism therefor, a top'plate provided with a continuous race-way comprising series of uniform sized race-circles and a connecting enlar ed circle, and carrier con-' trolling switches or said enlarged race-circle, whereby the carriers may be either assed through or reversed for plain or stripe raiding respectively, substantially as set forth.

' 3. A braiding machine having a top plate provided with a continuous race-way comprising series of uniform sized race-circles connection with the change plate to for stripe braiding. 1 The drawing shows arace-course having four intermediate connecting race-circles .c

and aconnecting enlarged circle, carriers traversing said race-way, means for control- 70 ling the movement of the carriers at said enlarged race-cirele, and four horn drive gears for all of the race-circles one of which is of enlarged size and removably mounted for said connecting race-circle, substantially as set forth.

4. A braiding machine having a top plate provided with a continuous race-way comprising three or more series of uniform sized race-circles and single enlarged race-circles connecting adjacent series, means for controlling the movement of the carriers at each enlarged race-circle, and four horn drive gears for all of the race-circles certain of; which are of enlarged size and removably mounted for said connecting race-circles, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in the presence of two witneses.

FERDINAND THUN.

25 forming five course sections, the carriers in each of which may be made to return around its connecting race circle or to traverse the connecting course section; thus providin for roducing on the same machine a fu widt plain braid, or one of two, three, four or five stripes variable as desired according as one or other of the interchangeable gears are employed on the res ective gear studs 1). 5 When ut one interme 'ate race circle 0 1s \k 5' rovided only a-plain braid or a two stripe braid of fixed stripe widths can be produced, 1 the respective interchangeable gears for the two stripes of braiding however being arranged in mesh with one or other of the gear wheels m and 'm' as already described. For each double terminal gear 9 h employed, one 1' i 2 additional carrier is used as will be readily understood.

Havin thus fully described my invention I ,do not esire to limit myself to the particiilar embodiment thereof particularly shown and described, but:

Witnesses:

D. M. STEWART, V CALEB J. BIEBEB 

